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Physics

About the Course

There are two physics degree courses at Oxford: a three year BA and a four year MPhys. The first two years are common to both but students wishing to continue with a career in physics after their undergraduate degree are expected to complete the MPhys course. From the very beginning, you will be a physicist and must demonstrate on a daily basis intelligence and self-motivation, problem solving and apply critical reasoning. If you wish to study physics to the highest level, Oxford has a huge amount to offer you.

You will receive a world-class grounding in the foundations of modern physics, guided by leaders of worldclass research. The physics course contains several options in the later years, and so you can tailor your University experience towards the aspects of Physics that particularly interest you.

Preliminary University examinations are taken at the end of the first year. They do not count towards your final classification but a distinction in the first year is still highly coveted and is well regarded by research groups and employers offering summer internships. Final examinations, which count towards your degree classification, are taken at the end of the second, third and fourth years. In addition, project work undertaken during the final year is assessed as part of your Finals mark. It is on the basis of your Finals result alone that you obtain your Honours Degree. The second and third years are weighted roughly 41%: 59% for BA candidates. For the MPhys candidates, the second, third and fourth years weights are approximately 23%: 35%: 42%.

At Jesus College there are three permanent physics fellows who are regularly joined by two or three external tutors to cover all the main branches of modern physics. The benefit is that most Jesus physics tutorials are given by a familiar College Tutors, who knows the students personally and is interested in their progress and welfare. This has helped Jesus College students achieve excellent results, amongst the very best in the University. Because the tutorials are given to just one or two undergraduates at a time, they can be matched to the individual student’s interests and needs. Their purpose is to guide you through the course, to ensure that you are making the progress of which you are capable, and to help you enjoy your academic emergence and the widest choice of professional career.

Typically, your tutor will set you work to do one week in advance to be handed-in and discussed during the next tutorial. You are encouraged to bring any problems that you have encountered, any points from lectures or books that are obscure, topics that particularly interest you. Your tutor is, of course, also there to help during stressful times and talk though choices related to the University course and beyond.

Subject notes

To see the latest subject notes for Physics - which contain information about our tutorial fellows, the admissions process and the course itself - please consult the below link.